After winning the league title last year, the Monarch girls swimming and diving team will be swimming through uncharted waters. The 36 athletes find themselves in a new Front Range league this year, including rivals Fairview and Boulder. With the new additions, they can expect harder workouts and a tougher season overall.

     Traditionally, Fairview and Boulder have finished in the top 10 in the state.

     Previously, Fairview and Boulder were in the Centennial League. This year, the Centennial League wanted to be a strictly South Denver league, and Fairview, Boulder, and Mountain Range are more northern. Therefore, they will be moving into the Front Range League this year. For the Monarch swimmers, this means more aerobic base workouts and a lot of long-distance swimming to start out the season at their 5 a.m. practices, Monday-Friday.

     “Swim team physically kills us,” junior swimmer Kaity Wegen said. “I’m dreading the really hard workouts.”

     Head coach Jay Weerman says the swimmers and divers are working harder to get a leg up on the tougher competition.

     “It’s going to be a really tough league champions meet,” Weerman said. “Four of the top 10 teams in the state are going to be there.”

     Monarch’s goal this year, according to Weerman, will be to place in the top two at leagues and top 10 at state.

     “Our girls are excited to defend the title. That will be a huge driving force for the team,” Weerman said.

     The swimmers and divers have a wide variety of outlooks on the coming season.

     “Our new league makes me sad. I have the faintest glimmer of hope,” Wegen said.

     Other swimmers, however, have a more optimistic view.

     “I think we have a good chance in our league this season. We have a lot of swimmers and divers this year,” said senior Whitney Fletcher, who will be both swimming and diving for the first time for Monarch this season.

     “Maybe with the new freshman class and the coach’s strategy, we can beat Fairview and Boulder,” sophomore swimmer Caellagh Morrissey said.

     The team has nine new members, including Blair Kacynski, a club swimmer who already has state qualifying times, as well as freshman swimmer Teylor Greff.

     “I already know lots of the other new swimmers and divers, and the ones I don’t know seem really outgoing and friendly,” Greff said. “The upperclassmen are really encouraging and throughout the season we’ll get to know them better.”

     “I really love how close we all have become to one another,” Wegen added.

     The family nature has always been a trademark of the Monarch girls swimming and diving team. Spaghetti dinners before home meets, team cheers, and a “Big Fish-Little Fish” tradition-- where upperclassmen are paired with underclassmen to cheer for each other and exchange gifts--help create this environment.

     “I remember thinking, ‘I’m never going to fit into this group,’ but everyone warmed up really quickly and it became a great experience,” Morrissey said.

     With a friendly environment, a strong set of returning swimmers, a talented bunch of newcomers and a rough workout plan ahead, the girls swimming and diving team is ready for an exciting season.